The present invention relates to bottle filling apparatus in general and to the bottle centering bell and inflow sealing gasket of a bottle filling assembly, in particular.
Automatic bottle filling apparatus must provide for entry without leakage of the liquid to be placed in the bottle and simultaneous removal of air from the bottle. In a bottle filling apparatus, the empty bottle is moved to a location at which means for filling the bottle is attached to it. The means for filling the bottle includes a centering bell which fits over the lip and neck of the bottle and shifts the bottle to center it beneath the filling means. Above the centering bell is a bottle lip sealing gasket which is pressed against the lip of the bottle and seals it against leakage while the bottle is being filled with liquid. Both the sealing gasket and the centering bell are supported in a retainer which is raised and lowered off the bottle. Feeding into the bottle, through and past the retainer and the sealing gasket, are liquid inlets. Means direct the liquid from a supply tank, reservoir, or the like through these inlets into the bottle. A vent communicates with the bottle as it is being filled to vent the air being displaced by the inflowing liquid.
After the bottle has been filled, the retainer is raised off the bottle and this lifts off the sealing gasket, centering bell and filling valve and assembly.
Occasionally, bottles being filled break or chip and particles of glass adhere to the sealing gasket, e.g., because that gasket is wet, or the particles mar the surface of the gasket. In addition, through use, there is a dirt and bacterial build-up on the gasket and/or the centering bell. For sanitary and other reasons, therefore, it is necessary to periodically remove the centering bell, to possibly clean it and to periodically replace the bottle sealing gasket with an uncontaminated and unmarred one. To encourage replacement of bottle sealing gaskets at the proper intervals and to minimize down time on bottle sealing apparatus, it is desirable that the removal of the centering bell for gaining access to the bottle sealing gasket and replacement of the bottle sealing gasket be as simple and rapid as possible.